Chapter 27 Lu Ye's Warning
It was completely dark by then, and the supply and marketing cooperative had already closed. Jiang Suining and Lu Ye had nowhere to buy anything, so they went directly to the military hospital. They asked at the nurses' station which ward Li Yuejin was in, and then they followed the corridor to find it.
Before she even reached the ward door, a piercing cry came from inside. Through the half-open door, Jiang Suining saw Li Yuejin lying on the hospital bed, his little face red from crying. One of his legs was in a sling, making it difficult for him to move, but he was still restless. He was half-supporting himself, wailing loudly, and waving his little hands at Zhou Xiaomei, who was gently comforting him by the bedside.
Zhou Xiaomei tried to coax him in a low voice, attempting to get him to lie down, but the child resisted fiercely and struggled even more.
Jiang Suining and Lu Ye exchanged a glance. Lu Ye nodded slightly, and then she reached out and pushed open the ward door.
Hearing the noise, Zhou Xiaomei turned her head and saw the person who came. Her face instantly froze, her lips twitched unnaturally, and she opened and closed her lips, but couldn't utter a single word.
While lying in his hospital bed, Li Yuejin tried to sit up and reach for the rope that was suspending his leg.
"Don't move, behave yourself." Seeing this, Lu Ye took a step forward and firmly pressed down on Li Yuejin's fidgeting hands. His voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority. "If you don't keep your leg properly in a sling, your bones will grow crooked, and you'll become a little cripple, walking with a limp. Do you still want to run and jump with your friends?"
No matter how many disagreements there are between adults, children are always innocent. Lu Ye softened his expression, helped Li Yuejin lie back down with his hands on his shoulders, and his tone became gentle: "Of course it hurts to break your leg, but our little Yuejin is a little man. What is this little bit of suffering? He can grit his teeth and get through it, right?"
Jiang Suining watched from the side, thinking to herself, "This child is a bit mischievous, but she's sensible at heart. If she can be properly guided, she might not be a bad person in the future." However, if Zhou Xiaomei continues to spoil, hide, and cover for her like this... She couldn't help but turn her gaze to Zhou Xiaomei, only to catch Zhou Xiaomei secretly looking at her. As soon as Zhou Xiaomei met her gaze, she hurriedly looked away.
Jiang Suining chuckled inwardly, too lazy to pay her any attention. She walked to the bedside, reached out and gently touched Li Yuejin's sweaty forehead, her voice exceptionally soft: "Oh dear, our little Yuejin is so brave. Even with his legs like this, he can still hold back his tears. He's such a little hero."
Li Yuejin's eyes lit up, and the corners of his mouth, which had been drooping due to grievance, unconsciously turned up slightly, though he tried hard to keep it up.
She carefully peeled off the white pith from the orange segments before holding it to Li Yuejin's mouth. The little guy obediently opened his mouth and ate it, chewing a few times before swallowing. He immediately exclaimed, "Sweet! Auntie, more!"
Jiang Suining patiently fed him segment by segment. With the sweet orange distracting him, Li Yuejin gradually calmed down and stopped paying attention to the discomfort in his legs. His little face, which had been red from crying, returned to its normal color.
Just as he finished eating an orange, the ward door was pushed open, and Li Guodong stood in the doorway, carrying a luggage bag in one hand and a lunchbox in the other, with his eldest son Li Tuqiang and Li Yuejin's twin brother Li Tenghui beside him.
Upon seeing Lu Ye and Jiang Suining in the ward, Li Guodong froze, standing at the door in a dilemma, his face clearly showing his embarrassment.
Lu Ye glanced at him coldly, then his expression returned to normal. He took a few steps forward and naturally took the duffel bag from his hand: "What are you standing there for? Come in."
"Lu Ye, you... what brings you here?" Li Guodong forced an awkward smile and shuffled in with heavy steps.
Li Tuqiang held his younger brother's hand, and the moment his eyes met Jiang Suining's, he immediately lowered his head like a startled deer.
Jiang Suining didn't know much about Li Guodong's three children, but she had heard the military wives in the family compound talk about them. The eldest, Li Tuqiang, was only seven years old, but he was unusually mature and sensible. His mother died early, leaving behind two younger brothers who were still nursing. He helped his father take care of his brothers when he was very young.
Such a sensitive child must have heard the rumors circulating in the family compound about Zhou Xiaomei framing her, and felt ashamed to face her.
The two families lived close by, so it was inevitable that they would run into each other. Jiang Suining had long noticed that Li Tuqiang had been avoiding her lately. Whenever she saw him from afar in the yard, he would immediately take a detour. Seeing him like this now, Jiang Suining sighed inwardly, stepped forward, and gently patted Li Tuqiang's head: "Tuqiang, it's been a while. Don't you recognize Auntie?"
Tu Qiang kept his head down, his voice barely audible: "I know him."
“Auntie hasn’t seen Tuqiang come to our house for a while,” Jiang Suining said, not pointing out the reason he was trying to avoid the question. “Yuejin injured his leg, and your father and Aunt Zhou have to take care of him, so they probably won’t be able to make time for you to eat. If Tuqiang is willing, he can bring Tenghui to Auntie’s house for dinner. You know how good your Uncle Lu is at cooking.”
How could Li Tuqiang not know Lu Ye's culinary skills? He was silent for a moment, then suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with disbelief and cautious expectation: "Auntie, can I really go? You won't be angry with me?"
The child's words had a hidden meaning, and Jiang Suining's heart softened. Sure enough, children without mothers mature early and are so sensible that it's heartbreaking.
She crouched down, looked Li Tuqiang straight in the eye, and said firmly, "How could Auntie be angry with you? I'm overjoyed that you came."
Li Tuqiang still seemed unable to fully believe it, and turned to look at Lu Ye again.
Lu Ye's eyes held the same smile as always: "What, you don't like the food your Uncle Lu makes? I remember you used to come over for meals every few days, and you'd crave it if you didn't eat it for three days."
Li Tuqiang blushed a little embarrassed at being teased, but seeing that Lu Ye's attitude towards him had not changed at all, the anxiety and unease that had been building up in his heart because of the rumors vanished instantly.
He grinned, walked over to Lu Ye, and took Lu Ye's hand: "Uncle Lu, you're finally back! I missed you so much while you were away on your mission!"
It turns out that before Lu Ye got married, Li Guodong was widowed. The two often ate together, and the three children were very close to Lu Ye, especially the older Li Tuqiang.
Lu Ye gently ruffled Li Tuqiang's hair and said in a gentle tone, "Uncle Lu misses you too."
The gloom that had been hanging over Li Tuqiang for days vanished, and a relaxed smile appeared on his little face. He went to the bedside to see his younger brother Yuejin, and Li Tenghui followed. The three little heads huddled together, whispering secrets to each other.
The children huddled together, and the somewhat tense atmosphere in the ward seemed to ease a little, but the unspoken awkwardness between the four adults became even more apparent.
Lu Ye deliberately avoided looking at Li Guodong, focusing his gaze on the children. Jiang Suining picked up another orange and continued peeling it, seemingly oblivious to everyone else.
For a moment, only the children's whispers and the soft sound of Jiang Suining peeling an orange filled the ward. This eerie silence lasted for a while. Li Guodong, perhaps unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere, stepped forward, patted Lu Ye's shoulder, and whispered, "Lu Ye, come out for a moment, I have something to tell you."
Lu Ye sneered inwardly, but showed it on his face. He gently squeezed Jiang Suining's hand, gave her a reassuring look, and then turned and followed Li Guodong out of the ward.
As soon as the two men left, Zhou Xiaomei glared at Jiang Suining, her lips pressed tightly together. After hesitating for a long time, she lowered her voice and said with resentment and unwillingness, "Jiang Suining, don't be too smug! Lu Ye can't give you lasting happiness! You'll be crying later!"
Jiang Suining found it amusing; this person's mind was probably twisted to a certain degree. Too lazy to engage in pointless arguments with such a person, she simply ignored them, not even lifting her eyelids, and focused intently on watching the children share the oranges.
Zhou Xiaomei was so angry that she almost ground her back teeth to powder. Her chest heaved violently. If it weren't for the fact that her child was in the ward, she probably would have already lost control and started cursing to vent the grievances and resentment she had accumulated over the past few days.
She took deep breaths, her hands clenched into fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, the sharp pain barely keeping her sane. Li Guodong was furious, and if she caused any more trouble and angered him further, he might really file for divorce. Although military marriages are difficult to end, if Li Guodong was determined, she wasn't sure she could win him back.
Since her rebirth, she thought she could control everything, but things have gone wrong. She dares not make a single wrong step again.
Forcibly suppressing her anger, Zhou Xiaomei forced a stiff smile, picked up the enamel mug on the table, poured a cup of hot water, walked to Jiang Suining's side, and deliberately softened her tone: "Suining, you've been talking for so long, are you thirsty? Drink some water to moisten your throat."
Jiang Suining glanced at the glass of water with some surprise, then hesitated and didn't take it.
Zhou Xiaomei forced a smile: "The ward is basic, and I didn't bring any sugar. Please make do with this."
"Just leave it there, I'm not thirsty." Jiang Suining saw that her complexion was relatively normal, and figured she wouldn't dare to do anything tampering with the water. But she really wasn't thirsty, and she didn't want to accept her sudden "kindness."
Zhou Xiaomei paused, a hint of embarrassment flashing across her face, and silently put the enamel mug back in its original place.
***
The small playground behind the hospital.
The moonlight was hazy, with only a few scattered lights shining through the hospital room window. Lu Ye and Li Guodong walked to the parallel bars. "Let's stay here. If you need anything, just say it." Lu Ye was still thinking about Jiang Suining in the hospital room and didn't want to go far.
Li Guodong had initially clung to a sliver of hope that Lu Ye was unaware of Zhou Xiaomei's actions, but Lu Ye's cold and distant attitude made it clear. He gave a bitter smile and spoke with difficulty, "You...you know everything?"
"What do you know?" Lu Ye's voice was cold. "Do you know that your wife is spreading rumors and making trouble, trying to smear my wife? Or do you know that you, as her husband, can't even control your own woman? Or do you know all this, but you turn a blind eye and let her run wild?"
"Lu Ye!" Li Guodong exclaimed anxiously, his face flushing red. "I didn't! We've been brothers for so many years, don't you know who I, Li Guodong, am?"
Lu Ye naturally knew Li Guodong's character and believed that he did not intentionally condone it. However, Zhou Xiaomei was his wife, and Li Guodong could not escape responsibility for what happened between them. At the very least, he bore the responsibility for negligence and inadequate supervision.
“I know your character well,” Lu Ye said calmly, but his eyes were sharp as knives. “So you should also understand my temperament and principles of doing things.”
Li Guodong's heart tightened, and he suddenly looked up: "You, what do you want to do?" He knew Lu Ye too well. This man appeared cold on the surface, but in reality, he was very affectionate and especially protective of his own. Zhou Xiaomei's targeting of Jiang Suining had touched a nerve, and he would never let it go easily.
"What should we do?" Lu Ye's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable force. "Mistakes should be punished, and transgressions should be corrected. Guodong, we've been through thick and thin together. I truly never expected your wife to treat my wife this way. I warned you before that Zhou Xiaomei was wicked, but you were blinded by her and insisted on marrying her. Logically speaking, it's your freedom to choose who you marry, and I have no right to interfere. But now, your family has bullied my family. This matter cannot be left unresolved."
"I really didn't know beforehand!" Li Guodong instinctively protested. If he had known, he would have definitely stopped it, but now these words seemed weak and powerless. He said dejectedly, "I'm sorry, I'll accept whatever you want to do. I just hope that this matter won't damage our brotherhood..."
“Friendship isn’t something you can just talk about,” Lu Ye’s tone softened a bit, but it still carried weight. “Whether we can still be brothers, and to what extent, depends on how you act in the future.” After listening to Jiang Suining’s story, he already had a plan in mind. Li Guodong had saved his life, and he was willing to give him a chance for that, as well as a chance for this brotherhood. But the premise was that there could never be a next time.
"Don't worry! There will absolutely be no next time!" Li Guodong said, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon.
"Next time?" Lu Ye raised an eyebrow slightly. "Guodong, let me make this clear: if Zhou Xiaomei ever makes my Suining suffer even the slightest grievance again, not only will we lose our brotherhood, but I, Lu Ye, will never let you two off easily. I mean what I say."
"I understand, I understand!" Li Guodong nodded repeatedly, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "Don't worry, I will definitely keep an eye on Zhou Xiaomei and never let her cause trouble for my brother and sister-in-law again! If it happens again, I, I will divorce her immediately!"
"Hmph." Lu Ye gave a noncommittal snort. Next time? If there really is a next time, it probably won't be something that can be easily resolved with a divorce.
...
On the way home from the hospital, Jiang Suining couldn't help but ask Lu Ye and Li Guodong what they had talked about.
Lu Ye simply smiled, keeping his mouth shut.
Jiang Suining pretended to be angry, turned her head away and ignored him, and kept a straight face until she entered the house.
Lu Ye wasn't in a hurry. He patiently fetched hot water, tested the temperature, and then, without saying a word, helped her take off her shoes and socks. He gently pressed her feet into the warm water and skillfully began to wash them.
Lying on the bed, Lu Ye pulled Jiang Suining, who had her back to him, into his arms, hugged her tightly, rested his chin on the top of her head, and asked in a low voice, "Are you still angry?"
Jiang Suining remained silent, but her body relaxed slightly.
Lu Ye chuckled and, with a slight exertion of his arm, turned her around so that she was facing him.
Jiang Suining kept her eyes closed, but her long eyelashes trembled gently like butterfly wings. Lu Ye carefully examined her face as she pretended to be asleep. After a moment, he lowered his head and placed a soft kiss on her lips.
Instantly separate.
"Still angry?" he asked again, his breath brushing against her face.
Jiang Suining frowned almost imperceptibly, but still did not open her eyes or respond.
Lu Ye's lips curved into a smile, and he kissed her again. This kiss was more lingering than the last, lasting a few seconds longer. After pulling away, he persistently asked, "Are you still angry?"
Jiang Suining unconsciously pursed her lips, her feigned annoyance almost bursting out, but she still forced herself to remain silent.
Looking at her stubborn yet adorable appearance, Lu Ye's heart softened, and a smile almost overflowed from his eyes, but he was afraid that laughing out loud would annoy her, so he desperately held it back. He took a deep breath, suddenly rolled over and enveloped her completely beneath him, holding her tightly, and then a hot kiss with an irresistible force landed on his lips.
The kiss was domineering and deep, leaving Jiang Suining dizzy and disoriented, her body involuntarily going limp, and she instinctively began to respond. However, just as she was lost in passion, she clearly sensed an undeniable change in him.
Jiang Suining's body stiffened, and she immediately thought of the absurdity in the bathroom that afternoon. Suddenly, she felt a soreness in her lower back and her legs went weak. Panicked, she could no longer pretend. She suddenly opened her eyes and pushed him away forcefully.
"Don't move!" Lu Ye let out a suppressed groan, struggling to move his body and turn over to lie on his back next to Jiang Suining. His voice was hoarse and painful. "Sui Sui, don't move. This is killing me."
"I, I didn't..." Jiang Suining's cheeks flushed, her voice carrying a coquettish tone that she herself didn't realize.
Lu Ye heard this and his heart skipped a beat. He dared not look at her again and turned away, curling up into a ball.
Seeing that he remained silent for a long time and his body was tense, Jiang Suining was a little worried. After hesitating for a while, she sat up and leaned over to look at his face: "Are you... are you alright?"
Hearing the suppressed emotion in his voice, Jiang Suining felt a pang of pain in her heart, followed by boundless gratitude. This man was truly wonderful, but he always thought of her, and she couldn't just think of herself.
...
When Jiang Suining woke up the next day, the sun was already high in the sky.
She sat bolt upright, realizing she was going to be late! While frantically getting dressed, she couldn't help but scold Lu Ye outside the door, "Lu Ye! You jerk! Why didn't you wake me up! I'm going to be late for work!"
Hearing the noise, Lu Ye immediately pushed the door open and came in, a satisfied and gentle smile on his face. He reassured her, "Don't worry, don't worry. I just went next door and asked Sister Lian for a day off for you. Are you tired? Do you want to sleep a little longer?"
"Yes, yes, it's all my fault." Lu Ye readily accepted the pillow, sat down on the edge of the bed, and coaxed her gently, "Get up and wash up, eat something, I'm off today, I'll take you somewhere."
"Where to?" Jiang Suining's attention was diverted, and she asked curiously.
"It'll be a secret for now," Lu Ye smiled mysteriously, a glint of anticipation in his eyes, "It's a surprise."
Surprise? Jiang Suining's curiosity was completely piqued. She didn't care about settling scores with him last night. She immediately got out of bed, put on her shoes, and ran briskly to wash up, her heart filled with anticipation for the "surprise" Lu Ye had mentioned.
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